Electronic physician referral management system and methods

1. A physician referral management system comprising:

at least one data storage device storing instructions for physician referral management; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method comprising:

storing, at a physician profile database electronically accessible over at least one network system, a plurality of physician profiles, each of the plurality of physician profiles containing information associated with a physician, wherein the information associated with the physician includes information defining insurance plans accepted by the physician and whether the physician is a member of a particular healthcare organization;

displaying, through an online dashboard of a physician referral application, indicia defining a number of referrals ordered, a number of referrals received, and a number of pending follow-up referrals made, since a prior log-in into the physician referral application, the physician referral application being a web-based application hosted at least partially on a server and having access to the physician profile database;

facilitating, through the online dashboard of the physician referral application, a referral of a patient between a primary care physician device and a specialist physician device;

receiving, through the online dashboard of the physician referral application, a search request for physicians based on information contained in the physician profiles;

in response to the search request, determining a first predefined group of physicians based on a first grouping criteria, and determining a second predefined group of physicians based on a second grouping criteria;

determining a rank of the first grouping criteria relative to the second grouping criteria;

displaying, on the online dashboard of the physician referral application, the first predefined group of physicians in random order, relative to other members of the first predefined group of physicians, based on the first grouping criteria;

displaying, on the online dashboard of the physician referral application, the second predefined group of physicians in random order, relative to other members of the second predefined group of physicians, based on the second grouping criteria;

displaying the first predefined group of physicians relative to the second predefined group of physicians based on the rank of the first grouping criteria relative to the second grouping criteria, the first grouping criteria corresponding to membership in the particular healthcare organization, the second grouping criteria corresponding to out-of-network physicians who are not members of the particular healthcare organization;

in response to receiving a request to perform a search for and referral to an out-of-network physician, displaying on the online dashboard of the physician referral application an electronic message indicating the request is for an out-of-network physician, said electronic message configured to prompt the user to respond with a reason for requesting the search for and the referral to the out-of-network physician;

providing a referral data record, associated with the referral to the out-of-network physician, to both the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device; and

generating, for a specialist physician associated with the specialist physician device, analytics data comprising a number and frequency of referrals, and compiled statistics on referral providers.

2. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician referral application is located remotely from the physician profile database.

3. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with a physician includes at least four of: the physician's phone number, gender, age, training, ranking information, education, medical specialty, awards received, malpractice information, administrative referral contact information, and place of business.

4. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician referral application is configured to allow a user of at least one primary care physician device to search for physicians based on whether the physician is a member of the particular healthcare organization.

5. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician profile information comprises information received from users of at least one of the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device.

6. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician referral application is further configured to access at least a portion of patients' electronic health records, and to provide the specialist physician device access to at least a portion of a patient's electronic health records when such patient has been referred to the specialist physician associated with the specialist physician device.

7. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician referral application is further configured to track patient referrals made by and received from at least one of the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device.

8. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician referral application is further configured to provide the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device with access to patient insurance prior authorization information.

9. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician referral application is further configured to transmit a referral communication to a specialist via fax.

10. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician referral application is configured to facilitate electronic communication between primary care physician and specialist physician devices.

11. The physician referral management system of claim 1 , wherein the physician referral application is configured to provide referral trends.

12. A computer-implemented method for physician referral management, comprising:

storing, at a physician profile database electronically accessible over at least one network system, a plurality of physician profiles, each of the plurality of physician profiles containing information associated with a physician, wherein the information associated with the physician includes information defining insurance plans accepted by the physician and whether the physician is a member of a particular healthcare organization;

displaying, through an online dashboard of a physician referral application, indicia defining a number of referrals ordered, a number of referrals received, and a number of pending follow-up referrals made, since a prior log-in into the physician referral application, the physician referral application being a web-based application hosted at least partially on a server and having access to the physician profile database;

facilitating, through the online dashboard of the physician referral application, a referral of a patient between a primary care physician device and a specialist physician device;

receiving, through the online dashboard of the physician referral application, a search request for physicians based on information contained in the physician profiles;

in response to the search request, determining a first predefined group of physicians based on a first grouping criteria, and determining a second predefined group of physicians based on a second grouping criteria;

determining a rank of the first grouping criteria relative to the second grouping criteria;

displaying, on the online dashboard of the physician referral application, the first predefined group of physicians in random order, relative to other members of the first predefined group of physicians, based on the first grouping criteria;

displaying, on the online dashboard of the physician referral application, the second predefined group of physicians in random order, relative to other members of the second predefined group of physicians, based on the second grouping criteria:

displaying the first predefined group of physicians relative to the second predefined group of physicians based on the rank of the first grouping criteria relative to the second grouping criteria, the first grouping criteria corresponding to membership in the particular healthcare organization, the second grouping criteria corresponding to out-of-network physicians who are not members of the particular healthcare organization;

in response to receiving a request to perform a search for and referral to an out-of-network physician, displaying on the online dashboard of the physician referral application an electronic message indicating the request is for an out-of-network physician, said electronic message configured to prompt the user to respond with a reason for requesting the search for and the referral to the out-of-network physician;

providing a referral data record, associated with the referral to the out-of-network physician, to both the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device; and

generating, for a specialist physician associated with the specialist physician device, analytics data comprising a number and frequency of referrals, and compiled statistics on referral providers.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the information associated with a physician comprises at least four of: the physician's phone number, email address, gender, age, training, ranking information, education, medical specialty, awards received, malpractice information, administrative referral contact information, and place of business.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving input information for a physician profile from at least one of the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

accessing at least a portion of patients' electronic health records; and

providing to the specialist physician device access to at least a portion of a patient's electronic health records when such patient has been referred to the specialist physician associated with the specialist physician device.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

facilitating electronic communication between primary care physician and specialist physician devices.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

tracking patient referrals made by and received from the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

providing the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device with access to patient insurance prior authorization information.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

facilitating a referral communication to be transmitted to a specialist via fax.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform the step of providing referral trends.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of at least one computerized device, performs a method of physician referral management comprising:

storing, at a physician profile database electronically accessible over at least one network system, a plurality of physician profiles, each of the plurality of physician profiles containing information associated with a physician, wherein the information associated with the physician includes information defining insurance plans accepted by the physician and whether the physician is a member of a particular healthcare organization;

displaying, through an online dashboard of a physician referral application, indicia defining a number of referrals ordered, a number of referrals received, and a number of pending follow-up referrals made, since a prior log-in into the physician referral application, the physician referral application being a web-based application hosted at least partially on a server and having access to the physician profile database;

facilitating, through the online dashboard of the physician referral application, a referral of a patient between a primary care physician device and a specialist physician device;

receiving, through the online dashboard of the physician referral application, a search request for physicians based on information contained in the physician profiles;

in response to the search request, determining a first predefined group of physicians based on a first grouping criteria, and determining a second predefined group of physicians based on a second grouping criteria;

determining a rank of the first grouping criteria relative to the second grouping criteria;

displaying, on the online dashboard of the physician referral application, the first predefined group of physicians in random order, relative to other members of the first predefined group of physicians, based on the first grouping criteria;

displaying, on the online dashboard of the physician referral application, the second predefined group of physicians in random order, relative to other members of the second predefined group of physicians, based on the second grouping criteria;

displaying the first predefined group of physicians relative to the second predefined group of physicians based on the rank of the first grouping criteria relative to the second grouping criteria, the first grouping criteria corresponding to membership in the particular healthcare organization, the second grouping criteria corresponding to out-of-network physicians who are not members of the particular healthcare organization;

in response to receiving a request to perform a search for and referral to an out-of-network physician, displaying on the online dashboard of the physician referral application an electronic message indicating the request is for an out-of-network physician, said electronic message configured to prompt the user to respond with a reason for requesting the search for and the referral to the out-of-network physician;

providing a referral data record, associated with the referral to the out-of-network physician, to both the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device; and

generating, for a specialist physician associated with the specialist physician device, analytics data comprising a number and frequency of referrals, and compiled statistics on referral providers.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform the step of:

receiving input information for a physician profile from at least one of the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform the steps of:

accessing at least a portion of patients' electronic health records; and

providing to the specialist physician device access to at least a portion of a patient's electronic health records when such patient has been referred to the specialist physician associated with the specialist physician device.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform the step of:

facilitating electronic communication between primary care physician and specialist physician devices.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform the step of:

tracking patient referrals made by and received from the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform the step of:

providing the primary care physician device and the specialist physician device with access to patient insurance prior authorization information.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further perform the step of:

facilitating a referral communication to be transmitted to a specialist via fax.